Harmattan causes financial loss to airlines in Ghana

Airlines using the Takoradi Airport, are facing financial losses, following the closure of the facility due to poor visibility caused by severe Harmattan,  in the area.

Mr. Daniel Appiah-Darkwah, Takoradi Station Manager of City Link, an airline that uses the airport, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday that authorities of the Ghana Airforce upon the advice of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, closed the airport on Thursday, February 9, 2012.

He said though the closure of the facility was good for the safety of the airlines and their clients, it had resulted in financial losses.

Mr. Appiah-Darkwah said City Link had refunded airfares of about 30 prospective passengers, who had booked flight reservations with the company.

He said: “the airline received notification from the Agency that visibility range had decreased from the minimum range of 1, 500 metres to 1, 200 metres, making it unsafe for aircrafts to travel in the air.”

The Western Regional Director of the Agency, Mr. David Perry Osika, could not state the specific time for the re-opening of the airport for traffic, but expressed the hope that visibility would improve by the end of the week.

Information from the Western Regional Meteorological Agency indicated that visibility range was 1,200 metres below the minimum visibility of 1,500, temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, humility was 66 per cent, dew point was 24 degrees Celsius while air pressure was 1,007 degrees Celsius.

Apart from City Link, Antrak, Fly 540 and Starbow use the airport.

Source: GNA